Thomas Mann owes his place in world literature to the dissemination of his works through translation. Indeed, it was the monumental success of the original English translations that earned him the title of 'the greatest living man of letters' during his years in American exile (1938-52). This book provides the first systematic exploration of the English versions, illustrating the vicissitudes of literary translation through a principled discussion of a major author. The study illuminates the contexts in which the translations were produced before exploring the transformations Mann's work has undergone in the process of transfer. An exemplary analysis of selected textual dimensions demonstrates the multiplicity of factors which impinge upon literary translation, leading far beyond the traditional preoccupation with issues of equivalence. Thomas Mann in English thus fills a gap both in translation studies, where Thomas Mann serves as a constant but ill-defined point of reference, and in literary studies, which has focused increasingly on the author's wider reception.

Introduction Part One: Contexts 1. Thomas Mann in English translation: History and reception 2. 'Englishing it': H. T. Lowe-Porter, Thomas Mann and the practice of translation Part Two: Texts 3. Cross-textual translation profiling: Describing the translator's fingerprint 4. Transferring the / paratextual: The translation of titles 5. The translation of discourse forms: Speech and thought / presentation 6. Translating modes of address as an index of interpersonal dynamics 7. Syntactic form and literary meaning in translation Conclusion Bibliography Index